The long-standing and damaging series of strikes and slowdowns by customs officers in Brazil has ended, according to officials in the capital Brasilia and the port of Santos.

As we reported earlier, the dispute over pay, pensions, and working conditions began last July and has had serious impact on shippers’ bottom lines and the Brazilian economy. The port of Santos alone has incurred losses of approximately 1 billion reais ($309.9 million), according to estimates of the Santos and Sao Paulo Association of Shipping Agents, or Sindamar. Including delays at airports and border crossings, total nationwide losses could be double that figure, according to the Journal of Commerce.

Signs of a resolution began to emerge the week before Christmas when the Brazilian government was making serious moves to end the strikes via a special provisional measure in Brazil whereby a measure immediately has the power of a law even before it is passed by Congress.

The strike ended on January 9th after Brazilian President Michel Temer signed such a provision granting the customs union nearly all of its demands — including a 20 percent pay raise.

All operations at the customs offices are back to normal.

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